


Choose

by WhumpFan



Series: Tangled Oneshots [4]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Cassandra is conflicted, Gen, Hurt Varian (Disney), NO ONE KNOWS, Not even her, Protective Rapunzel, Varian wants to go home, What is Cassandra's destiny?, Zhan Tiri thinks she should kill Rapunzel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhumpFan/pseuds/WhumpFan
Summary: “Cassandra, is this really what you want? How does fighting me, taking my boyfriend and little brother hostage do anything for you? What destiny are you chasing? Do you even know what you're doing Cassandra?”“I-I” She wanted to yell, scream at them. Why wouldn't they let her find herself, follow her destiny? Was this her destiny though? Sure she didn't want to follow Rapunzel but fight her? Hold her friends and family hostage? This wasn't her destiny, it couldn't be. “I don’t know”OrCassandra is conflicted, Rapunzel wants to talk and Varian wants to go home. Cassandra's revenge rewrite.
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Series: Tangled Oneshots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651957
Comments: 6
Kudos: 128





	Choose

**Author's Note:**

> Hey amazing humans,  
> As always I wrote this at like 11pm so feel free to point out any mistakes Grammarly missed!

Once she had calmed down the guilt started to flood in. She just locked a sixteen-year-old kid in a cage and dangled him out of the tower. He must be terrified. Sure he had taken Rapunzel's side and tried to stop her, but she never wanted to hurt him, she wasn't the villain. Looking out at the cage again Cassandra gave in and started to pull it back in, it had been about an hour anyway, he wasn't going to pull any stunts after that. 

Once the cage got back in she looked around the tower for another way to secure him, after all, no matter how much she didn't want to hurt him he was still her hostage. Once she figured out a way to keep him secure without hurting him Casandra lowered the cage. The kid was staring at his palms murmuring something about translation, and with a start she noticed that his goggles were missing. Shaking off the feeling that something was wrong she knelt next to him. 

Cassandra took his backpack off before she pulled the kid up by his arm and started walking him over to the throne. Quickly she located a flat area on the wall not too far from where she would be sitting and forced Varian into a sitting position, his back flat against the wall. She then took his left arm and formed a cuff around it then a chain attached to the cuff which attached itself to the wall, giving him just enough leeway to kneel if he needed to. Varian’s eyes widened and his head shot up to look at her.  
“Cass, what are you doing?” He sounded panicked and was starting to struggle. Frustrated she reached out and grabbed his other hand in a tight grip.  
“Calm down, would you rather I put you back in a cage and hang you over the side of the tower?” He quickly shook his head, looking more panicked than before but at least he had stopped struggling. Rolling her eyes, Cassandra continued with the second hand and attached it to the wall as she had done with the first one.

Taking another look at the kid Cassandra felt a sudden wave of guilt, he was a kid, she had just chained up a kid. No wonder he was afraid of her. Maybe she should just let him go back to Rapunzel, she would come anyway, the tower was obvious enough. With her new power did she need a hostage?  
“Having second thoughts already?” She was shaken out of her thoughts by the girl floating above her.  
“Maybe I should just..” She was cut off.  
“Just what? Let the boy go? But you are so close to getting Rapunzel, your destiny, you're just letting him get into your head. “ Cassandra paused, the girl was right, she was always right. She needed Rapunzel here and Varian would just speed up the process. Besides she wouldn't hurt him, not anymore.  
“Your right, what's our next move?”  
“Just wait for Rapunzel, you will know what to do” And then the girl was gone leaving Cassandra to her thoughts. 

Needing to clear her head Cassandra made her way over to the edge of the tower, where she could keep a lookout for Rapunzel and get away from Varian’s pleading glances. Speaking of the kid he was being so quiet, he used to talk so much. Had she done that to him? Ever since she gave him the truth serum he had hardly said a word. She glanced back at him only to see that he had pulled his knees up to his chest and was resting his forehead on them. She needed to get this kid out of her head. 

Looking back over the edge Cassandra saw Rapunzel making her way over to the tower. Eugene, Lance, Red and Angry were also there. This was perfect. This was what the girl had wanted, what she had wanted. As she was resting her palm on the ledge she felt a sudden presence in her mind.  
‘Let me in Cassandra. We can work this out, I want to work this out with you’ She pushed back harshly and watched amused as spikes burst from the wall Rapunzel had been leaning on seconds earlier. If Rapunzel wanted to get in she would have to figure it out herself. 

“Let them in” Cass jumped, how did the girl always sneak up on her like that.  
“What?” Why would she want to let Rapunzel in?  
“Let her in and use the power you hold against her, break her spirit.” That made sense, Rapunzel would be much easier to fight with her spirit broken. Then Cassandra could prove that she was more than the princess ever was. Cassandra opened the door and moved into a more defensible position. When Rapunzel came up those stairs she would be ready.

Through her newfound power, Cassandra could feel where the others were in the tower and soon enough they split off into two groups. Quickly Cassandra used the rocks to block Lance, Red and Angry from reaching her. This wasn't about them, she wasn't going to let two kids get hurt in a fight that wasn't even theirs. She had already hurt one kid, she wasn't going to make that mistake again. 

She then made the trek up to the room she was in easier. She wasn't waiting around all day for Rapunzel to climb a staircase. Glancing behind her Cassandra noticed Varian looking up at her with nervous eyes. He flinched away almost instantly after they made eye contact and Cass found herself drowning further in guilt. It was okay though, this was her destiny after she broke Rapunzel's spirit Varian could go home, she could go on her own path and everything would be fine. 

Her attention snapped back to the station at hand when she heard two pairs of footsteps reach the room they were in. Eugene was positioned behind Rapunzel in a way that made it obvious she was trying to protect him. From what, Cassandra wasn't sure, it wasn't Eugene's fight either, she wouldn't involve him. Cassandra positioned herself into a proper stance for magic use and waited for Rapunzel to make the first move.  
“Cass, I don't want to fight you. Please just let us take Varian home. Come home with us Cass, we can figure this out.” Of course, she would choose to try and talk it out.  
“We have nothing to figure out” Then she sent a rock straight for Rapunzel.

Both her and Eugene jumped out the way and Cassandra sent a wave of blunt rocks at Eugene sending him flying towards Varian. She then created a wall of spikes to keep them away from the conflict. Then she turned to face Rapunzel who pulled herself to her feet. She started to send wave after wave of spiked rocks towards the young woman who kept blocking them with her hair. Why wasn't she fighting back? Cassandra threw another wave of rocks that pinned Rapunzel to the wall. She could just make out a trail of blood coming from her hairline. 

“Why won't you fight back?”  
“I will never stop trying to get through to you, I won't fight you, I won't justify your hatred, and there is nothing you can do to change that.” This isn't working, there had to be a way to get her to fight, she glanced back at where the boys were watching the fight through the holes in the spikes. As much as she hated it, Cassandra had an idea. She took down the spike wall and surrounded Eugene in the black rocks up to his chest. She then summoned another spike that pointed straight at Varian's neck.  
“If you won't fight me, then will you fight for them?” Just one look at Rapunzel's face told her all she needed to know, that was how to break Rapunzel's spirit. 

“Don't do anything she says Rapunzel” Cassandra whipped around to glare at Eugene, tightening the rocks around his chest as she did so. He started to gasp in pain and she turned around to face Rapunzel who seemed to be conflicted.  
“You have a choice Rapunzel, fight to free them both, or pick one to die.” Rapunzel opened her mouth to respond but Varian beat her to it. 

“Cassie, what are you doing?” She turned around to yell at him, tell him she was fighting for her destiny, but she made eye contact and couldn't respond. He looked terrified of her. She remembered when he used to call her Cassie, back before his father, when he looked up to her and admired her. Now the same eyes that looked at her with admiration were looking at her with fear and distrust.  
“Cassandra, is this really what you want? How does fighting me, taking my boyfriend and little brother hostage do anything for you? What destiny are you chasing? Do you even know what you're doing Cassandra?”  
“I-I” She wanted to yell, scream at them. Why wouldn't they let her find herself, follow her destiny? Was this her destiny though? Sure she didn't want to follow Rapunzel but fight her? Hold her friends and family hostage? This wasn't her destiny, it couldn't be. “I don’t know”

“Yes you do” She looked up, the ghost girl was floating above her, “You're the holder of the moonstone now if you can take the sun drop out of the picture imagine how powerful you would be, what you could do? Follow this path moon drop, it will lead to greatness, people will look up to you, you will be a hero” Then she disappeared. 

She didn't want to kill Rapunzel but if she could show her, show everyone how strong she had become, people would see her as a hero, she could protect them. Become more than Rapunzel ever hoped to be, she just needed to win this fight.  
“Fight me or choose”  
“Cass, please, you were- you are the closest thing I have to an older sister, we can talk this out. I’m sorry for making you feel unheard, I will listen to you now, trust your judgment. Please just wait, don't do anything you will regret later”  
If she thought for even a second that Rapunzel had changed she had been wrong. Of course, she wanted her to wait, wait for an opportunity that would never come. Rapunzel was only trying to hold her back.  
“I don't follow your orders anymore princess” Cassandra tightened the rocks around Eugene making him cry out in pain, “Now fight me more I will kill you boyfriend right here” She saw Rapunzel start to reach for her hair and smiled, things were finally starting to fall into place. Then from behind her, a young voice called out.  
“Rapunzel I have the fourth incantation, you have to use it” Incantation? Is that what Varian had been mumbling about when she brought him back in?  
“What?” 

She watched as Pascal ran and grabbed a piece of paper, delivering it to Rapunzel. She growled in frustration and brought the spike closer to Varian's neck, forcing him to try and lean back.  
“What incantation”  
“It doesn't matter” The ghost girl was back, a gleeful smile on her face. Faintly in the background, he could hear Rapunzel saying something. “You are more powerful than her, finish this fight Cassandra” 

Then she was hit with a beam of light. Rapunzel was standing now, lighting coming off her in waves, she was yelling something but Cassandra couldn't hear her. It was like everything had been muted. She sent rocks at Rapunzel but the young women shattered them with a wave of her hand. How was she supposed to beat this? Rapunzel was slowly walking closer now and frantically Cassandra threw more and more rocks at her but they had no effect. Then Rapunzel touched one of the rocks and then was an even brighter flash of light. She felt strong winds, and heard screaming and then Cassandra felt herself falling. Watching as the ground got closer and closer Cassandras reached out for her power and made a rock platform for her to land on. 

After the initial impact on the rock platform, Cassandra pulled herself up, fighting against the pain of the bruises covering her body. She looked around and with a start noticed that Varian had also been caught on her platform. She quickly got up and walked over to him, pulling up the teenager into a standing position. Rapunzel was going to find them any minute and Cassandra needed a hostage.  
“Cassie, what are you doing, please just lower us both to the ground”  
“You know I can't do that Varian” She wished she could, things had gotten so out of hand, all she wanted was power over the rocks and now she was keeping a teenager hostage so her ex-best friend couldn't attack her. How had things gotten so bad?

“Yes you can Cassie, If anyone knows how you might be feeling right now it's me. I attacked Rapunzel too remember? But Cassie you need to listen to me, how does hurting Rapunzel help you at all? I understand wanting to follow your own destiny but why do you need to attack anyone to do it. I know you, Cassie, this isn't you” 

He was right. She was lashing out, hurting people who didn't deserve it. She had hurt Varian after she promised herself she wouldn't. Hurting people wasn't who she was and she was going to prove it. 

Reaching out for her magic again Cassandra lowered the platform they were both standing on to the ground, at the same time Rapunzel and her friends rushed out of the tower. Silently she pushed Varian over to Rapunzel and ran towards the woods. She didn't know where she was going but it was away from Rapunzel and Varian and the crushing guilt that weighed down every step she took. 

She heard them calling after her but she just kept running, if she looked back now she knew she would break. Hurting Rapunzel wasn't her destiny but neither was being by her side. She would figure out what her real density was, without Rapunzel, without Varian and without manipulative ghost girls following her every move.

How had everything gotten so messed up?

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed that. If you did please leave a kudos or comment they really do make my day <3
> 
> \---  
> As a treat, I thought I would leave my writing notes for this fic because they made me laugh. 
> 
> \- Cass takes Varian and Eugene hostage  
> \- Varian was never in the cage  
> \- ‘I can make you fight’  
> \- Fight to free them both or pick one to die  
> \- WTF are you doing Cass?  
> \- Is this really what you want, is this your destiny  
> \- ...no? WHAT AM I DOING??? CRISIS  
> \- Zhan Tiri - but it is what you want (Insert bs here)  
> \- Oh yeah right random ghost who I don't know  
> \- FIGHT ME RAPUNZEL  
> \- Cass please listen to me, just wait for (triggered)(Raps)  
> \- NO I WON'T WAIT  
> \- RAPUNZEL I HAVE THE FOURTH INCANTATION!! PLS USE IT  
> \- THE WHAT? (Increase deadly factor for Varian)  
> \- Your more powerful (says the random ghost)  
> \- Pow pow magic  
> \- YAY WE SAFE!!  
> \- OH FRICK OFF THE TOWER WE GOOOO (But wait….Varian is falling with Cass)  
> \- Ow landing on rock hurts. who would've thought  
> \- Imma keep you (pls don't)  
> \- RAPS YOU CAN'T WIN  
> \- LEMME TALK SOME SENSE INTO YOU WITHOUT GHOSTIE  
> \- Truth serum is still here and doesn't care for your bs  
> \- Oh...you right.  
> \- Welp I’m conflicted now  
> \- RAPS TAKE THIS CHILD IMMA RUN  
> \- WAIT NO WE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT  
> \- I'M STILL NOT LISTENING TO YOU I'M CONFLICTED YOU CAN'T STOP ME


End file.
